“Following the end of the Russian military operations in 2008, Chechnya has experienced a period of economic recession and consistent low-level political violence perpetrated by Jihadist and separatist insurgent movements. The brutal Counterinsurgency operations carried out by the Chechen security forces inflicted severe casualties on the rebels but antagonised large segments of the local population.…

‘’The build up of tensions in Venezuela has led the country to a breaking point: self-appointed interim president Guaidó has called for the military to defect and support him to topple the sitting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at the end of April. This decision is not free from risk, especially since Guaidó’s diplomatic immunity has…

“The re-emergence of men’s rights activists (MRAs) in social and political contexts in recent years has posed new threats regarding national and international security. Through the utilisation of the internet to further their ideology, develop a community, and radicalise others these threats are increasing. Therefore, in order to understand the legitimacy of the threat posed…

“Hybrid War is emerging as a new form of warfare which military doctrines are struggling to adjust to. Its combination of conventional and non-conventional threats blur the distinctions between civilian and combatant, and between peace and war. This increasingly complex and ambiguous environment presents operational challenges, but also ethical ones.” by Keir Watt Since Russia’s…

“Big Data entails innovative technological progress to the intelligence cycle as it strengthens the collection stage, introduces the correlational analysis method, and facilitates the dissemination of data to the final consumers. However, Big Data also presents some challenges and risks as human consciousness and expert participation remains essential to ensure the intelligence cycle’s effectiveness”. by…

In May 2019, over 350 million European citizens will express their vote for the constituency of the new European Parliament in a moment of significant challenges for the European Union (EU). As these may be the most important elections ever faced by the EU, policy-makers should pay particular attention to disinformation campaigns and cyber-threats to…

On the 20th March the Security Distillery in collaboration with VOX-Pol got together for its first event of 2019, “Extremism: Online Networks, Offline Violence” at Dublin City University. Students from across DCU and the IMSISS programme attended for presentations from Security Distillery members discussing right-wing extremism in the EU, UK and US and an expert…

Guatemalans have welcomed the anti-impunity commission that works to combat high level corruption and abuses, but after over a decade of prominent arrests and government pushback, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales threatened a pre-emptive withdrawal from the effort in January 2019. The decision is tied to a pattern of US-led norm breaking, with implications for justice…

“Radicalisation has emerged as a sincere issue in Europe in the last five years. Since ISIS started to lose territory, foreign fighters have begun to return to Europe, while ISIS’ web presence has strengthened and increased. In response, the European Union has created some of the most successful anti-radicalisation programmes to tackle those threats. However,…

“The far-right’s most recent electoral emergence in Europe raises concerns about the possible securitization of multiculturalism, the inspiration of radical right terrorism and the destabilization of liberal democracies. Understanding its rise and tactics can help liberalism address the far-right’s challenge.” by Javier Martínez Mendoza In the last five years, instability in the Middle East and…